Surf Lesson in Watergate Bay

The booking is two hours, with a brief and a warm-up on the sand and about ninety minutes in the water. Start times are 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00.

Please arrive 30 minutes early so changing and the walk down do not eat into that water time. If you are running late, send a message rather than arriving mid-briefing.

Top Field Car Park sits above Watergate Bay. From Newquay, come through Porth, go up the hill and turn left through the gates before the dip. From the bay, drive toward Newquay and turn right after the shipping containers.

Tell the attendant you are with the surf school for the customer rate. The 56 bus from Newquay is a 10-minute ride if you would rather not drive.

A soft-top board and a wetsuit. Boards are replaced each season. You can bring your own kit if you prefer, and you leave the school board on the sand at the end so we can carry it back up.

Heated changing rooms and toilets are on site. A lockable box at the water's edge holds keys, a phone and a bottle, at your own risk and with limited space.

No. This lesson is for first-timers and for people who want a recap. The coach keeps the group at six, so you are not lost in a crowd on a busy day.

If a child is under 7, book a private lesson instead, which starts from age 5. Tell us the mix of ages when you book so we can put the group on a peak that fits.

Light rain is usually fine. Wetsuits stay warm year round, and the changing rooms are heated. The Hangout Cafe is there afterwards if you want a hot drink.

We cancel when the wind is too high, the swell is too strong, or fog sits on the bay, or if the beach is red-flagged. In those cases we rearrange or refund, and that only happens a couple of times a season.

A towel, flip-flops, swimwear and a full water bottle. Get changed into swimwear before you arrive if you want to skip the rush for the changing rooms.

Sunscreen helps on a bright day. Leave bags you do not need on the sand in the car. The beach box is only for keys, a phone and a bottle.

Group lessons start at 7. For children aged 5 and 6, a private lesson gives the coach time to stay with them in shallower water.

If you have a mixed family, we can look at a private booking so the younger one is not sharing a peak with a full group. Ask when you book rather than turning up hoping it will work.

Joel and the team are surfers and trained lifeguards. Groups stay at six per coach, which is how a first lesson stays useful on a bay that can get busy.

The brief and the warm-up happen on the sand before anyone paddles. In the water you get cues between waves, not a lecture from the wall.

Yes, if you want more time on the same beach once the coaching ends. Ask at the school before you change out of the suit so we know you are staying on.

Hire is unguided. Only add it if you are happy picking a peak on your own after the lesson.

Give yourself extra time in summer. The coast road through Porth fills, and arriving 30 minutes early is the point, not a suggestion.

If you miss the briefing we cannot rewind it for one person. Message us if you are stuck so we know whether to hold a suit.